MAAH DAAH HEY 100 MTB race
The Maah Daah Hey mountain bike racecourse takes you across one of the most majestic single-track adventures in the world, with miles of uninterrupted trail through the heart of the rugged Badlands. Make no mistake, this event will push competitive riders to their limits while giving every participant an experience they will remember for the rest of their lives.
total distance
13 miles
25 miles
50 miles
75 miles
100 miles
race start
August 3rd, 2024
6AM MDT
13 Buffalo Gap Campground
25 Aid Station #3 | Wannagan Campground
50 Aid Station 2, Little Missouri River
75 Aid Station #1 on Scairt Women Rd.
100 CCC Campground
elevation gain
13 1,374 feet
25 2,391 feet
50 5,984 feet
75 8,862 feet
100 13,001 Feet
COURSE RECORD
13 Eric Volk | 1:01:01
13 Jacee Erickson | 1:14:17
25 Steve Stalgren | 1:58:19
25 Lindsey Leker | 2:29:51
50 Ian Easton | 4:18:16
50 Sarah Easton | 4:57:16
75 Kadon Hintz | 7:46:23
75 Jill Cederholm | 8:19:29
100 Kelly Magelky | 8:22:14
100 Tina Severson | 11:09:07
ABOUT THE RACES
The Maah Daah Hey 13 race course takes you across one of the most majestic single-track adventures in the world, with miles of uninterrupted trail through the rugged Badlands - the perfect option for a new rider. With just 13 miles of gorgeous, (relatively) simple Badlands single track, this race is not all, but mostly, downhill. 🔥 Read more..
This is our most enjoyable race option for the “average” racer. Do you have a few big mountain bike rides under your belt and are ready to take it to the next level? This is the perfect entry level Maah Daah Hey race to take your confidence and your bragging rights up a notch! Read more..
Best option for the “average” to “above average” racer that still might want to be able to take the kids on a hike in Theodore Roosevelt National Park the day after the race. Just about any serious mountain biker can ride 50 miles if they really put their mind to it. With no river crossing, this is an awesome option to choose to challenge your skills and push your limits to the max. Read more..
The Maah Daah Hey 75 is the option most “above average” endurance racers should choose if they have never ridden in the Badlands before. It is still a serious undertaking, but definitely more doable for the mere mortals who, for whatever reason, do not commit to the intensive training regiments and disciplined diets of the pros. It feels better to finish 75 and wish you had done 100 than to DNF the 100 and wish you had finished the 75. Read more…
The Maah Daah Hey 100 racecourse takes you across one of the most majestic single-track adventures in the world, with miles of uninterrupted trail through the heart of the rugged Badlands. Make no mistake, this event will push competitive riders to their limits while giving every participant an experience they will remember for the rest of their lives. Read more…
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race logistics
terrain
The Maah Daah Hey trail offers as many descents as it does climbs, and they are never not far apart. The earth is a unique blend of dirt, clay, sandstone, scoria, and whatever else the good Lord mixed into this epic mountain bikers’ playground. On the tops of the badlands buttes you will find flat prairie grasslands. There are also some sparsely wooded sections scattered on the trail but overall there is minimal cover from the elements. Hence the name BADLANDS.
River crossing
You will cross the Little “Muddy” Missouri River about a mile before Aid Station #2. The river bottom is mostly rocky and solid but the water level varies greatly. In July & August the depth is usually ankle to knee deep, which is why we host the race at that time of the year. The color of the river water usually resembles the color of chocolate milk, but we don’t recommend drinking it! Some racers take their shoes off to cross and others put a new pair of shoes and socks in their Aid 2 Drop Bag. You may check the current river level depths at this link.
aid stations
There are NO Aid Stations on the MDH13 and MDH25 race course. You will need to carry everything you need with you or have a support vehicle for this short distance race. Water and Tailwind sports drink will be available at the Checkpoints located on the map below.
Approximately every 25 miles will be an Oasis with peppy volunteers ready to help you with food, liquids and anything else you might need. You will have an option to send self-packed drop bags that we will deliver to each of the Aid Stations before the race. Shaded tents, chairs, porta potties and ice cold water are just some of the things you will see. Some of the Aid Stations even have volunteer bike mechanics that may be able to help you with and your bike make it to the finish.
LODGING
If you want to camp, CCC Campground is about 30 minutes away. There are about 32 sites there, they are $10 per night, primitive, most site are first come first serve, 5 site are now “reservable” HERE. If CCC fills up There are other similar campgrounds near by; Summit is 5 minutes away from CCC, Bennett is 20 minutes away from CCC, or Juniper in the TRNP North Unit is 25 minutes away from CCC. If you’re into showering and sleeping in a bed check out the Roosevelt Inn & Suites in Watford City, ND, BOOK HERE, our official “north end” lodging partner, with all the amenities you need. On the “south end” of the trail, book your Medora lodging accommodations through our official race partner, the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation. Accommodations can be booked here.
*the 13 miles race start is close to Buffalo Gap Guest Ranch, camping and motel reservations are available by calling 701.623.4200
While in Medora, also might want to try the Pitchfork Steak Fondue and the Medora Musical and use the code RaceSeries15 for an added discount.
checkpoints
In addition to the Aid Stations there are 9 checkpoints where the Maah Daah Hey Trail intersects the “major” back roads. These are really your only “bailout” options on the whole trail, volunteers will be standing by at these Checkpoints to assist you. The Checkpoints can be found more frequently on the bottom half of the course, which is a big reason we race the trail from north to south. Checkpoints will be well stocked with water, and in some cases MAYBE even ice.
NO SHUTTLES!
We are NO longer providing shuttles. EVERY participant must have their own transportation to the starting line of the race. EVERY participant must have someone available to get them off the race course if they are unable to make it to the finish. Every participant must have a way to communicate with their personal transportation. This is for the safety of our participants, thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
We rarely have a racer finish the 100-mile course without support and gear. What typically ends up happening is the other SAG crews feel obligated to assist which can sometimes lead to hard feelings. It is the racer’s responsibility to get themselves on and off the course. It is an extremely remote and unpopulated race course with limited volunteers and staff to shuttle or help pick up racers.
finish line
Welcome to the very small group of mountain bikers in the “Maah Daah Hey in a Day Club.” At the finish line, in Medora, there will be plenty of food, drinks, and stories to share. Award Ceremonies will be held at the finish line at about 11:00, 2:00, 5:00, and 8:00 MDT. Electronic timing chips will immediately let you know if you beat the course record, made the top ten, or barely made the cut-off time. But either way you rode the “MDHx1day” and that is something to be very very proud of!
SUPPORT VEHICLES
SAG drivers are encouraged to meet racers at all of the Aid Stations and Checkpoints. Because the Maah Daah Hey Trail is so remote, navigating the lonely badlands gravel roads for the MDH100 racecourse is a challenging adventure of its own! That is why we offer our very detailed and “bulletproof” turn-by-turn directions for SAG drivers. Having a 4-Wheel drive vehicle with high clearance is a good idea, but not completely necessary… people SAG in cars and minivans too. Either way you may want to practice changing out your spare tire before you come, it takes a long time for AAA to find you in the remote ND Badlands! Click here to view complete information on SAG protocol!
cut off times
All Checkpoints will have bathrooms, water, and a volunteer who you MUST check in your race number with. All Aid Stations will have bathrooms, water, food, drop bags, TAILWIND NUTRITION sports drink, and a volunteer who you MUST check in your race number with! YOU ARE REQUIRED TO CHECK-IN AT EVERY CHECKPOINT AND AID STATION. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN YOUR DISQUALIFICATION FROM THE RACE. ALL checkpoints and Aid Stations will close on a schedule based on a 5.8 mph average riding pace, which is what you will need to maintain to complete the MDH100 in the 18-hour cut-off time. We will have course sweepers making sure that all riders make it off the trail safely. If you choose to continue past an Aid Station or Checkpoint past the cut-off time you automatically release yourself from the event and are free to continue on at your own pace. Closing times are as follows:
checkpoints
Checkpoint Alpha: Closes at 7:45 am
Aid Station 1: Closes at 11 am
Checkpoint Bravo: Closes at 12:45 pm
Checkpoint Charlie: Closes at 1:45 pm
Aid Station 2: Closes at 3 pm
Checkpoint Delta: Closes at 4 pm
Checkpoint Echo: Closes at 5:30 pm
Checkpoint Foxtrot: Closes at 6:15 pm
Checkpoint Golf: Closes at 7 pm
Aid Station 3: Closes at 8 pm
Checkpoint Hotel: Closes at 9:45 pm
Checkpoint India: Closes at 11 pm
FINISH LINE: Closes at 12 am
schedule
All times are listed in MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME! Most of the course is in the MDT zone, however, we are right on the edge of the Central Daylight Time Zone so your phones & GPS units may jump back and forth. Please plan accordingly. We recommend setting your devices on permanent MDT zone to avoid any confusion. If you’re not already confused enough, Watford City operates on CDT zone, but for simplicity: ALL RACE TIMES ARE LISTED IN MDT!!!
FRIDAY - PACKET PICKUP
All racers must check in at Packet Pickup the night before the race. We host packet pickup at two locations: MDH100 and MDH75 participants must pick up their packets in Watford City; MDH50, MDH25, and MDH13 participants must pick up their packets in Medora.
5pm –7pm Packet Pickup at the Roosevelt Inn & Suites (600 2nd Ave SW Watford City, ND 58854)
5pm – 7pm Packet Pickup at Finish Line Headquarters (Big White Tent) 3389 Pool Drive, Medora, ND 58645
SATURDAY
3:30 am Pilot car to the MDH50 Starting Line departs from Chimney Park
4:00 am Pilot car to the MDH75 Starting Line departs from the Roosevelt Inn
4:00 am Pilot car to the MDH25 Starting Line departs from Chimney Park
4:30 am Pilot car to the MDH100 Starting Line departs from the Roosevelt Inn
5:00 am Pilot car to the MDH13 Starting Line departs from Chimney Park
5:00 am Arrive at the starting area
5:15 – 5:45 am MANDATORY Racer Check-in at Starting Line
5:45 am Line up at starting line according to your estimated pace
5:50 am National Anthem and final instructions
6:00 am SHARP Gun Start! Pace, pace, pace yourself.
7:00 am Food Tent opens at the Finish Line Area
10:00 am MDH13 Award Ceremony & Massage tent opens at the Finish Line
11:00 am MDH25 Award Ceremony at the Finish Line
Noon - 11pm Drink Tent Hours at the Finish Line
3:30 pm MDH50, Youth and Kids Award Ceremony at the Finish Line
7:00 pm MDH75 and MDH100 Award Ceremony at the Finish Line
Midnight Race Course is closed!
Drop Bags
For $5 per bag you can utilize our drop bag service. You may send your own pre-packed bag to any of our three major Aid Stations and the Finish Line. Bags may not be bigger than an average sized plastic grocery bag, they must be well sealed with a zipper, draw string, zip tie, etc… Small backpacks, small duffle bags, Ziploc bags, or other durable plastic bags all work well. All drop bags must be clearly labeled with your name, racer number, and the location you want it sent to. Bags may contain your food, sports drink mix, spare tubes, spare parts, socks, CO2, tools, etc. Please keep your bags as light as possible, 20 lbs or less, anything over will not be accepted. It helps to NOT pack items that are already offered at the Aid Stations like water, fruit, etc. At the Aid Stations your drop bags will be laid out in numerical order according to the race plate numbers. ALL DROP BAGS MUST BE APPROVED AND PLACED IN THE PROPER CONTAINER AT THE PACKET PICKUP LOCATIONS BEFORE 8PM ON FRIDAY NIGHT. No late bags will be accepted. We will have lots of drop bags to deliver to our Aid Stations, please respect and obey our guidelines. All drop bags will be returned to the finish line, AFTER EACH AID STATION CLOSES, for your retrieval. We are not responsible for any lost or stolen items in the drop bags. Any drop bags left behind can be requested to be mailed back at the owner’s expense.
MILES TO GO>>> Distance Between Checkpoints and Aid Stations>>>
Checkpoint Alpha: Mile 9
Aid Station 1: Mile 25
Checkpoint Bravo: Mile 38
Checkpoint Charlie: Mile 44
Aid Station 2: Mile 50
Checkpoint Delta: Mile 57
Checkpoint Echo: Mile 67
Checkpoint Foxtrot: Mile 71
Checkpoint Golf: Mile 75
Aid Station 3: Mile 79
Checkpoint Hotel: Mile 91
Checkpoint India: Mile 98
Finish Line: Mile 106
Awards
All finishers will receive a custom designed wood medal and all racers who finish in under 10 hours will receive a custom MDH100 belt buckle.
100 Mile Overall WINNER’S
Men’s and Women’s 1st– $1,000
Men’s and Women’s 2nd – $750
Men’s and Women’s 3rd – $500
CATEGORIES
- 7 and under boys and girls
- 8 to 12 year old boys and girls
- 13 to 19 male and female
- Men’s and Women’s 20 to 29
- Men’s and Women’s 30 to 39
- Men’s and Women’s 40 to 49
- Men’s and Women’s 50 to 59
- Men’s and Women’s 60 to 69
- Men’s and Women’s 70 and Over
- Men’s and Women’s Single Speed & Fat Tire
- Tandem
- Relay Teams